Airplane wing and fuselage



Sept. 16, 1941. E. BEST 2,256,234

AIRPLANE WING AND FUSELAGE Filed April 11, 1939 /NVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRPLANE WING AND FUSELAGE Frank Ellison Best, Indianapolis, Ind. Application April 11, 1939, Serial No. 267,263

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in airplane wings and fuselage and process for making same, and the principal objects of my invention are:

First, to provide airplane wings and fuselage that can be moulded or die cast of any suitable materials such as tenite or dowmetal, to cheapen and quicken the manufacturing processes.

Second, to provide wings of tapering multiple box kite construction to lessen the air resistance to the forward movement of said wings.

Third, to curve the top and bottom lines as viewed in the transverse section of the wing to smooth out the lines of airflow and thus reduce the retardative eddies and swirls thereabouts.

Fourth, to make a light, sturdy, flexibly rigid structure of practical utility.

Drawing I obtain these andntherobgfectsbi niifis i'nca swirls, of a typical lifting wing section illustrating a principle of my invention.

Description My device consists of wing--element*-irmfl ffrw fuselage element l I preferablyintegral therewitli,".,

having one or more aileron g| 2 adapted.to behinged thereto as shown, The general wing construction-consists of two converging sheets and i4 preferably straight or nearly, straight in their longitudinal cross section ioinedat or near theirouter extremity ll. These sheets are preferably integral with, but may be anchored to, fuselage-element by any suitable means. Theyare held in spaced relation at 0 close intervals by transverse sheets l6 preferably integral therewith or firmly secured thereto.

Sheets l3 and M are preferably provided, Fig. 1, with tapering holes I! that run much of their length.

These holes are close together leaving reinforc ing webs l8 therebetween.

The aileron controls l9 secured to aileron horns 2| in eyes 22 therein, are nestled in holes I! entering same through suitable eyelets 20.

The fuselage is also made of two sheets of material 23 and 24 held rigidly in spaced relation by webs 25 integral therewith or rigidly secured thereto.

Sheets l3 and M are preferably not flat but rather slightly curved as illustrated Fig. 5 to reduce eddy currents thereabouts to a minimum.

They also may be provided with holes as shown Fig. 1, or be solid as shown Fig. 5.

Thu is provided a light rugged structure adapted tobe quickly and easily made by the- .mouldingor die casting process.

The fuselage may be moulded in sections or the whole plane, wings and fuselage complete or nearly complete, may be moulded, die cast, or

- "otherwise fabricated in one integral piece.

7 Wires, cables, rods, wire mesh, fabrics and so forth may be used advantageously as reinforcing materials therein to strengthen the structure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- 7 ,ent of the UnitedStates of America is:

man airplane having wings and a fuselage, a wing comprising sheets substantially straight lengthwise of said wing, separated at their respective Junctures with the fuselage but converging to a common juncture nearthe outer end of said wing, said sheets being spaced apart at intervals by transverse plates rigidly Joined therewith,

's'aid' sheets being thicker near the fuselage and thinner outward therefrom, said sheets being sub- I sta'nti'ally equidistant apart and slightly. .-curved downwardly from their front edge toward their 1 rear-edge "as respects their transverse profile, said sheets also having tapering holes substantially lengthwise thereof from small holes at the wing tip end to larger holes at the fuselage end thereof, said holes forming thin reinforcing webs substantially lengthwise of the wing 'therebetween. FRANK ELLISON BEST. 

